My Soldier
by ArtsyChick
Summary: Sequel to 'The Soldier'. Four years later, eight year old Sakura waits for her mysterious ANBU soldier to return.


In the lovely village of Konohagakure, there are many cherry trees. They are some of the most beautiful trees in the world, with their delicate pink blossoms and plump, red fruits. The Japanese word for cherry blossoms is 'Sakura'. Sakura trees bloom in the spring time. 'Haruno' is another Japanese word that translates to 'spring of'. Put those together and you get 'spring of cherry blossoms'. You also get an eight-year-old girl with short pink hair and jade-green eyes.

On one particularly beautiful evening in Konoha, a young girl sat on a swing hanging from a blooming Sakura tree, her pink locks obscuring her pale face. Next to the tree was a store, a flower shop to be exact, where a little blonde girl was tending to the flowers outside. The flowery perfume wafted to the pink haired girl's nose as a gentle breeze blew lightly, knocking a couple blossoms off the tree into the girl's hair. She was waiting for something, or rather waiting for someone, patiently, even as the sun was beginning to sink lower to the horizon.

The girl's patience was beginning to wear thin as the blonde girl locked the door of the shop and strolled by her. "Sakura-chan, aren't you coming?" she asked, stopping beside the swing.

"No," was Sakura's soft reply. "I think I'll stay a little longer."

"Won't your mother be worried?"

"She doesn't worry about me anymore."

"Oh. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the academy. Remember, you promised to be my partner."

"Yes Ino-chan, I didn't forget."

"Okay. Bye then." The blue-eyed blonde turned around and headed towards the village, where several lights lingered on as dusk rapidly approached.

When the sun had almost set, Sakura stood up and sighed sadly, letting hot tears slide down her cheeks. "I guess he died," she whispered, wiping her slender fingers across her teary eyes.

"Maybe he was running late," a voice whispered back, and Sakura stiffened. "He might just have a problem with punctuality."

Sakura recognized the voice and whirled around, only to bump into a tall man dressed in the traditional ANBU uniform and mask, with a thick, silvery shock of hair poking out from behind it. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, and even though his face was hidden, his head was tilted downwards so as he could see the small girl through his thin eye slits.

"My soldier," Sakura whispered, wrapping her arms around the man's leg. "I always knew you'd come back Mr. Soldier." Nuzzling her nose into his pant leg, she could detect trace amounts of blood, probably because he'd returned from a mission recently. And even though blood isn't a very warm or comforting smell, Sakura felt safe having her nose pressed into her soldier's bloodstained pants.

"Well of course I came back. I told you I would," the man replied, bending down to wrap his long arms around her thin body, pressing her into his muscled chest. "A shinobi is always to keep his promises, even if they cost him his life," he said, balancing his chin on her tiny shoulders.

"I know. I'm gonna be a shinobi one day," she replied, leaning back to stare into the slits of the man's mask. "I'm gonna become the greatest kunoichi that ever was, next to Lady Tsunade of course."

"Ah. Well, I know the Slug Princess quite well, and she'll be hard to outdo."

"I know, but I'm really smart, and I'll train really hard, and I'm gonna do it."

The man chuckled as he ruffled her pink hair. "Well, I'm glad you have so much determination and enthusiasm. That'll be quite the amazing feat."

"I know! Stop telling me that." She then buried her head back into his hair, inhaling a strange scent that she was familiarizing with apples.

Concealed by the grove of trees and by the darkening sky, an older woman with peach-colored hair peeked out at the man and girl. The wrinkles creasing her forehead grew deeper the longer she watched the two, as did her worry.

"Wait," Sakura said, leaning back again. Gently, she tugged the dog mask off and dropped it to the ground. Next, she removed his cloth mask and gazed into the face of the ANBU soldier. His face hadn't changed much since the last time she had seen him, except for a small, pale scar on his chin. Softly, she did what she had done previously: she dragged her fingers across his forehead, down his cheekbones, grazing his ears, across his nose, and to his chin. Then, she placed two fingers on his lips and held them there as their breaths hitched before pressing her lips to his cool forehead. "I'm glad you came back," she murmured, leaning her forehead against his as she closed her eyes.

"Yeah, me too," he mumbled back, letting his own eyelids drift shut.

"Since you came back, will you tell me your name?"

"I told you before, I can't."

Sakura's eyes popped open and she straightened. "Why not? You're not an ANBU anymore, so it's not a secret."

"Well, how do I know you're not a spy?"

"Because why would an innocent eight-year-old girl be a spy?"

"I've seen stranger things..."

"Please tell me your name."

"I want to Sakura-chan but… I just can't."

Sakura pursed her lips. "You're no fun Mr. Soldier."

Suddenly, a young woman cried, "Kakashi! Hatake Kakashi!"

The soldier sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and Sakura's eyes brightened. "So your name is Kakashi? Like scarecrow?"

"Uh… yeah…" Kakashi trailed off. "I better go Sakura-chan. Maybe I'll see you around…?"

Sakura grinned. "Sure! Konoha isn't that big a village. I'm sure we'll meet again Mr. Scarecrow."

Kakashi grinned before he pressed his cloth-covered lips to Sakura's dreaded forehead. The child closed her eyes as his lips lingered for a few seconds before he pulled away and stood up. "Good-bye Sakura," he said, before he disappeared in a flutter of leaves.

Sakura, surprised, reached up and caught a single leaf in her cupped palms as it drifted downwards and tucked it into her hair.

"Sakura!" The girl turned around, eyes wide as the older woman with peach-colored hair and darker green eyes appeared and began to chastise the girl. "Where were you? I was worried sick about you! It's almost dusk, and you're still here at Ino's shop? You scared me young lady!"

Sakura tilted her head down. "I'm sorry Mom."

The woman wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in for a tight hug. "Please don't scare me like that," she murmured. "I worry about you Sakura."

"I know Mom." Sakura glanced longingly after the area where Kakashi had disappeared in. "Mom, do you know shinobi by the name of Hatake Kakashi?"

"No Sakura, I don't. Do you?"

"Yes. He's my soldier Mom."

"Soldier?" Sakura's mother stared at her daughter in surprise. "How do you know a soldier?"

"Well, see Mom, we met four years ago, right here. He's in the ANBU Black Ops, and he told me that four years from now, when he's discharged, he'd meet me here again. And he came Mom, he was alive after all this time."

Sakura's mother smiled at her daughter. "I thought I told you not to talk to strangers Sakura. Now let's go home, your father's waiting. You can tell us all about your day at the academy." Taking her daughter's hand, she began to lead Sakura home. "I made your favorite tonight…"

Up in the trees, Kakashi sat on a tree branch, fingering his clay mask absently. Another woman sat further behind him, waiting patiently for him to join her.

As he watched little Sakura leave the area with the other woman, probably her mother, and he smiled slightly as he gazed after her. Before he vanished into the night with his friend, the young man whispered, "Good-bye… Sakura."


End file.
